Kentucky's Morris signs with Knicks

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky center Randolph Morris signed a free-agent contract with the New York Knicks on Friday, another big loss to a program already dealing with the departure of coach Tubby Smith.

Morris averaged 16.1 points and 7.8 rebounds for the Wildcats this season and was a first-team All-SEC.

He will join a team fighting for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. The Knicks played in Cleveland on Friday night. There was no immediate word on when Morris would join the team.

Morris' decision comes one day after Smith left to become the head coach at Minnesota.

Kentucky spokesman Scott Stricklin said athletic director Mitch Barnhart met with Morris late Thursday night and asked Morris to wait until a new coach was in place before deciding whether to leave.

Morris declared for the 2005 NBA draft following his freshman season, but went undrafted. He returned to the Wildcats after sitting out an NCAA-mandated 14-game suspension, averaging 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 21 games.

Morris blossomed this season, becoming the most consistent player for the Wildcats, who went 22-12 and lost to Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last weekend.

Morris said he "expected" to return to the Wildcats following the loss, but didn't completely rule out leaving for the NBA.

A provision in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement prevented Morris from re-entering the NBA draft and he was given free agent status throughout the 2006-07 season.

Alford leaves Iowa for New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - New Mexico is hoping Steve Alford is the answer.

Fran Fraschilla talked of taking the school to the Final Four, but got the Lobos no further than the NIT.

Ritchie McKay couldn't win over the fans, and his team didn't win nearly enough games.

Alford now takes over a school with a deep pool of passionate fans, and a history of postseason failures.

Alford, a former star guard at Indiana under Bob Knight and for the last eight seasons the head coach at Iowa, was hired Thursday by New Mexico. His mission is to get New Mexico where Fraschilla, the former St. John's coach, and McKay couldn't: back to the NCAA Tournament on a consistent basis.

Even before Alford's hiring became fact Thursday, Lobos fans were spinning positives.

"He's one of the more recognizable faces of college basketball over the last 20 years," said Joe O'Neill, a member of the advisory committee involved in the New Mexico coaching search. "He's a name coach who could be a difference-maker when it comes to a kid making a decision on where to play."